盘古神话的本土文化渊源

On the Origin of Pangu Myth in Native Chinese Culture

盘古神话由盘古开天地神话和盘古化生神话构成,二者均有若干要素可在先秦两汉思想文化中找到渊源。盘古开天地神话关于天地未分状态的描述,以及"阳清为天,阴浊为地"等观念,实为先秦两汉之际的普遍认识,尤其在道家文化中盛行。盘古化生神话关于盘古死后身体各部分化生为日月星辰、风雨雷电等天地万物的故事,应是在我国上古化生神话以及战国秦汉以来形成的天人感应思想基础上形成的。上古化生神话为其提供了死后化生的结构模式;天人感应思想——尤其是"人副天数"——将人体与自然事物一一对应,与盘古化生神话如出一辙,而且在具体的对应关系上,二者亦存在相当程度的吻合。整体来看,盘古神话根植于本土文化,应是在先秦两汉思想文化发展到一定程度的基础上形成的产物。

The myth of Pangu consists of the separation of heaven from earth and the genesis of creatures, both with elements rooted in the ideology and culture of the pre-Qin and Han dynasties. The description of the undivided state of heaven and earth in Pangu myth and the concept of"yang and qing is the heaven while yin and zhuo is the earth"were universally acknowledged during the pre-Qin and Han dynasties, especially in Taoist culture.The story of Pangu transforming his body into the heavens, wind, rain, lightning and the world in general at his death probably come from ancient mythology and the thought of heaven-man telepathy during the pre-Qin and Han dynasties, with the former providing a structure of postmortem metagenesis, and the latter establishing the correspondence between human body and nature much in accordance with the myth of Pangu. On the whole, Pangu myth is rooted in local culture and is probably formed with the development of ideology and culture in the pre-Qin and Han dynasties.